Flooding: Gov Sule approves over N161m for canals construction in Lafia, others

By David Odama

Worried by the devastating effect of flooding in the state, the State government has approved the sum of over N161m for construction of canals to tackle the manace, particularly in Lafia.

General Manager of the State Water Board, Dr. Kana Ahmed-Abubakar, who disclosed this in an interview with Journalists in Lafia, xplained that the measure is designed as part of proactive to mitigate the impact of flooding and imminent floods in several states, including Nasarawa.

According to the water board general manager, Governor Abdullahi Sule has ordered the release of the said amount as a well as approving the award of contract, adding that the Israeli government has also granted approval for the dredging of the Ambar River to expand its capacity to absorb water and reduce flood risk.

“We are creating a lot of canals that can carry all runoff water in Lafia and empty such into the main drain, the River Ambar. Maraba has no gazetted master plan. Buildings are erected indiscriminately, and solving this problem will require a concerted, interdisciplinary, and inter-ministerial effort,” Dr Abubakar stated.T

The GM noted that the Maraba area of Karu Local Government, which home about 60% of Abuja’s workforce, faces severe flooding due to lack of urban planning and its location on a basement complex.

“lasting solutions may include the demolition of some buildings and the construction of underground drainages as part of an engineering approach to address the challenges faced by the persistent flooding in the area.